Chapter 2: Surviving
[Host's initial state detected as: Newborn (Extremely weak). Initiating novice protection mechanism...]
[Novice gift pack being distributed...]
[Obtained: Initial Chakra Seed (Trace amount)]
[Obtained: Basic Physical Nourishment (Slow)]
[Obtained: Language Rule Synchronization (Passive, in progress)]
[Obtained: Survival Guide (Limited time)]
The cold, mechanical voice echoed deep within his consciousness. Every syllable was so clear it made him tremble, yet it also brought a strange sense of stability.
Following the prompt, Naoki did indeed feel a change—not a world-altering one, but like a cup of clear spring water being poured into a nearly dried-up stream.
A faint but incredibly real warmth seeped out from an indescribable void, slowly infusing the depths of his tender, fragile baby body, which was wrapped in layers of cold, fear, and weakness.
Where the warmth passed, the bone-chilling cold seemed to be dispelled slightly. His failing physiological functions received a tiny bit of support, allowing him to barely maintain consciousness rather than immediately falling into a coma or dying.
The appearance of this system was no different from a spider silk hanging down from a dark abyss, or a piece of driftwood floating in a raging sea.
In an instant, it gripped Naoki's consciousness, which was on the verge of being swallowed by overwhelming panic, chaos, and despair.
A cheat! And it was the Naruto mobile game system that had traveled with him!
Although this "system" currently looked pitifully rudimentary, and the "gift pack" it gave was so meager it made one want to cry.
The instinct to survive overcame everything.
He forcibly used the weak willpower of an adult trapped in an infant's brain to suppress the instinctive urge to cry out loud caused by fear and discomfort.
He tried his best to make the whimpers in his throat faint, almost silent. His tiny body curled up stiffly to the maximum extent within the rough swaddling clothes stained with dust and sparks, minimizing his exposed volume and any limb movements that might attract attention.
At the same time, he focused all his spirit on the floating, translucent system interface in his mind.
The interface was so familiar, yet so strange—the familiar game UI style appearing against such an absurd reality.
"Sys... System?" He shouted silently in his heart, trying to communicate with it.
"Novice gift pack... is that all? Is there anything... that can save my life right now?! The Nine-Tailed is tearing the house down! Give me an invincibility frame or a Substitution Technique trial card, anything!"
Whether the system truly possessed some interactivity, or simply because it detected the host's intense desire to survive.
Next to the status bar, a tiny, rapidly flashing red exclamation mark popped up, looking exceptionally eye-catching. Naoki tried hard to "focus" his consciousness on it.
A short piece of text information emerged:
[Emergency Evasion Suggestion: Utilize the characteristics of a newborn's weak aura and imperceptible life force fluctuations. Maintain stillness to the maximum extent, reduce the outward manifestation of vital signs, and avoid attracting the attention of any large hostile units. Priority: Survival. Strategy: Concealment, wait for external rescue or for the large-scale threat event to end naturally.]
Maintain stillness... reduce presence... wait...
A cold prompt, yet it fit the most realistic survival logic.
His blurry "gaze" (perhaps more of a conscious perception), which could not yet focus clearly, remained tightly "fixed" on the system interface.
[Chakra: 0.01 / ∞ (Seed state)]
[Status: Endangered / Protected]
Outside, the hell continued.
"Boom—!"
Another deafening sound of a building collapsing, accompanied by the cracking of bricks and the distant screams of people.
The frequency of the tremors coming from the ground seemed to be increasing, indicating that the battle deciding the fate of the Village was entering a white-hot phase, or perhaps approaching some tragic end.
The Nine-Tailed's hateful roar sounded near and far, making the air tremble with every growl.
Scorching heat waves still surged from the nearby burning beams, mixed with the crackling of burning wood and a scorched smell, roasting Naoki's fragile skin and making him feel waves of stinging pain.
Just then, the system interface flashed slightly, and a new prompt appeared in the center of his vision:
[Triggered Novice Task: Survive (Time limit: Until the Nine-Tailed Incident ends)]
[Task Objective: Survive this disaster event.]
[Task Reward: C-Rank Ninja Module 'Uzumaki Naruto' x1]
[Failure Penalty: None (Host death means the task ends naturally)]
Survive.
The task name was simple and blunt to the point of cruelty, but the reward made Naoki's heart tremble.
Uzumaki Naruto module?
Although it was only a C-rank Ninja rating, in this world, this meant the potential for Chakra, basic Ninjutsu knowledge of physical fitness, and even the iconic Shadow Clone Technique or the prototype of the Rasengan!
Must survive!
This thought had never been as clear, intense, and unquestionable as it was at this moment.
It overwhelmed the fear, overwhelmed the panic, and even temporarily overwhelmed the extreme discomfort of this infant body.
He curled up tighter, almost stopping even the faint whimpers, like a lifeless stone, completely surrendering himself to fate and that negligible "newborn concealment characteristic."
Time flowed slowly amidst the roaring, shaking, and scorching heat, each second as long as a century.
He didn't know how long had passed—perhaps a few minutes, perhaps ten minutes—but some new, relatively orderly movements appeared in the surrounding noise.
"Hurry! There are still buildings here that haven't completely collapsed, search carefully! Don't miss any corners!"
"Water Release squad, prioritize extinguishing the fire on this street to prevent it from spreading!"
"Medical squad, follow up! Treat any wounded immediately upon discovery!"
The voices approached quickly, accompanied by the sound of swift and light footsteps jumping on the rubble.
Naoki's heart tightened, then relaxed—it was Konoha Ninja! Organized rescue had begun!
Suddenly, a figure landed nimbly near him, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
Through his blurry vision, Naoki could only see a silhouette wearing a dark green flak jacket; the other person seemed to be wearing a mask or had a forehead protector, making it unclear.
"Here!" The Ninja's voice was urgent but deliberately lowered in volume, clearly experienced.
"Found an infant! Still has vital signs!"
Another figure approached quickly, crouched down, and carefully and professionally checked the swaddling clothes wrapping Naoki and the surrounding situation.
"No obvious external injuries, but inhaled smoke, suffered severe fright, and body temperature is low.
Need to transfer to the rear shelter immediately!"
"Understood. This street has been initially searched, I'll take him to the nearest Shelter No. 3. You continue forward!" The first Ninja finished speaking, carefully picking up Naoki along with the swaddling clothes.
The sudden movement of his body almost made Naoki lose control again, but he held back desperately.
The arms holding him were strong, but the movements were unexpectedly gentle; even while moving, they slightly covered him with a layer of Chakra, insulating him from some of the smoke and cold.
This was an experienced Ninja who knew how to carry fragile wounded.
"Hang in there, little guy.
" The Ninja holding him whispered, not knowing if he was speaking to Naoki or to himself.
Immediately, he leaped up, moving quickly between the ruins and burning rooftops.
The wind whistled in his ears, and the scene of the disaster below flashed by in his blurry vision, but Naoki's heart finally settled down.
Saved... really saved!
The nerves that had been stretched to the limit suddenly relaxed, and an overwhelming wave of exhaustion followed.
The infant's body was already extremely fragile, and the intense mental focus and fear consumption at the edge of life and death had long exceeded the load limit.
Now that a sense of security returned, a strong feeling of sleepiness flooded him like a tide.
Before completely losing consciousness, he took one last "look" at the system interface.
The [Novice Task: Survive] was still there, but the prompt for environmental threats seemed to have weakened.
The [Endangered] text on the status bar flickered slightly, seemingly trending towards changing to [Injured] or [Weak].
Then, boundless darkness engulfed his consciousness. He fell into a deep sleep, completely surrendering himself to this strange Konoha Ninja and his unknown fate.